Game counter



Sept. 18,1923.

L. c. ELDRIDGE GAME COUNTER Filed June 21. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIE 2GOLF STROKE RECORDER M H E V M I I dhif INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEY5.

Patented Sept. 1-8, 1923.-

UNITED STATES LEONARD C. ELDRIDGE, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

GAME COUNTER.

Application filed June 21, 1921. Burial 170. 479,180.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD C. ELnRmon, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana.have invented a certain new and useful Game Counter; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which likenumerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to a game scoring device for indicating the countof the game as the same progresses.

The chief feature of the invention con sists in providing suitablescoring means and associating the same with other suitable means wherebythe scoring means may be moved progressively to indicate the progress ofthe game as the same is being played.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a plurality ofparallel trackways or paths each of which is adapted to slidablysupport, an indicating counter whereby the counter may be adapted to theparticular game and to any sub-division thereof, such as an'inning or ahole in base ball and golf respectively.

Still a further feature of the invention consists in the particularsimplified construction and arrangement of the parts, whereby the samemay be very cheaply, readily and economically manufactured andassembled.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a .golf bag showing theinvention detachably secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a front view of theinvention showing the same substantially full size. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view of the invention. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional viewshowing the details of construction. Fig. 5 is a front view of amodification of the invention showing the same substantially full size.an end' elevational view of the same. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional viewof the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and shows the parts in openposition. I

.In the drawings 10 indicates a golf bag and 11 indicates a pockethaving an opening 12 and a flap 13 for closing the pocket, saidflapbeing secured to the upper poris a scoring device or indicator 15.

tion of the bag b suitable means, such as the button 14. ositioned inthe pocket, and exposed through the opening 12 thereof,

It will thus be understood that the indicator or scoring device canreadily be slipped into thepocket upon the golf bag and be exposed foroperation and'be' secured in said pocket and prevented from falling outof the same in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The advantage of thisdevice is that either the player or his caddie can accurately scorestroke for stroke the players game as the same progresses, withoutrequiring the player to carry a pencil and paper around the course. Itwill, of course, be understood that the device can also be carried inthe players coat or jacket pocket.

A detailed description of the construction of one form of the indicatingdevice proper will now be given, reference being had to Figs. 2 to 4inclusive. In said figures 20 indicates a top plate provided with aperipheral flange 21. Saidtop plate may be of square or rectangularform, or any other desired shape. A bottom plate 22 is associated withsaid top plate and is adapted to form an enclosing casing. While theperipheral flange 21 is shown integral with the top plate, the same maybe secured to or integral with the bottom plate or both plates may carryperipheral flanges which abut each other or telescope, the particulararrangement of this construction being relatively unimportant. However,both of the plates carry integrally formed hinge portions 23 which aresecured together by suitable hinge pin means 24.

The means for detachably. securing the two plates 20 and, 22 togethercomprise a latch and lock therefor. A suitable catch 25 is preferablyformed integral with the top plate 20 and is a part of the peripheralflange. 21, and extends inwardly in parallel relation to the top plate20. The bottom plate 22 carries a housing 26 which is suitably securedto said bottom plate or may be formed integral therewith and in saidhousing is rotatably supported a lock. cylinder 27. Said lock cylinderhas a reduced portion 28 and concentric with said reduced portion is aspring 29 which maintains the bolt 30 in engagement with the projectingcatch 25, when the same has been rotated into locking or latchingposition. The base plate 20 is provided with an opening 31 and the lockcylinder 27 is exposed through said opening and is provided with asuitable key receiving opening 32, whereby said locking cylinder 27 maybe rotated to move the bolt 30 into and out of locking engagement withthe catch 25. From the foregoing it will be understood that the lockherein described is but one form of lock which can 'be' used, and thisform of look as well as any other which may be substituted therefor isScalable by impressing suitable sealing means, such as wax in theopening32. This. of course, can

with the game of golf and one axis serves to indicate the number ofholes, while the other axis serves to indicate the strokes per hole.Also means is provided for receiving the players name, which is exposedthrough the opening '12 in the-pocket 11 hereinbefore described assecured to the golf bag 10. The I scoring device may be associated withother games, for instance one axis may be associated wlth the lnnlngs inbase ball and the other axis may indicate the number of runs secured bythe team then scoring.

The chief feature of the invention consists in roviding an indicatingdevice. for each unit of the game, thus, in golf each hole, and in baseball, each inning. The chief idea is to move said indicating deviceprogressively from unit to unit as the strokes or runs are secured bythe player or players. It is true that somewhat similar devices havebeen provided which are adapted to move progressively from point topoint, but no device has been adapted to move in a straight line and besecured while in said alignment at the desired position to indicate thescore obtained. This is accomplished by providing the front cover platewith a plurality of parallel aligned slots or trackways 35. The coverplate carries suitable numeral indicating means which are thus used withthe game to be scored. Positioned in each of the slots and slidably supported thereby is an indicating device, button or finger piece 36 havingan inwardly extending stem 37. Positioned upon saidstem and upon theopposite side or the inner side of the front face 20 is a suitableretainer member such as a washer 38 secured to said slidably supportedin a slot and is secured thereto against movement other than thatlongitudinally of said slot.

The means for permitting the indicating device to move longitudinally ofthe slot and yet be in alignment with its prior and future positions,and which will maintain said indicating device in the desired posi tion,consists of suitable rack means 40, which in the present invention ispreferably formed integral with and constitutes part of the back plate22. This rack or ratchet construction preferably extends across theplate so that the teeth of said rack extend transversely of the slot 35and in such a manner that said teeth permit progressive movement of theindicating device in one direction, but prevent returnmovement thereof.The means associated with the scoring or rack-formed back comprises aplunger which is provided with an inclined face 46 in contact with therigid teeth or rack teeth 40. Each of the stems 37 of the indicatingdevice 36 is hollowed out or recessed at 47 to slidably support theplunger 45. The plunger is yieldingly forced outward from the recess 47by a coil spring 48. Thus, the plunger 45 is maintained inyielding.engagement with the teeth 40 and prevents return movement ofthe indicating device 36 and permits progressive movement thereof in theforwarddirectiou. In order to prevent the indicating device from beingcasually moved and to lock the same in the desired position yet permitthe forcible movement thereor into a new position, the spring 49 isrovided. In the present invention the pen heral flange 21 is struck outat 50 to provide a means for securing one end 51 of the spring 49. Eachof the stems 37, see Fig. 4, is perforated at 52 and the other end 53 ofthe spring 49 extends through said aligned perforations and through anelongated slot 54 in the plunger 45 after which the free end partiallyencircles the stem 37. Thus, the spring 49 'is not onl secured to theindicating device 36 to yie dingly retain the indicatlng device in theretracted position and the plunger in engagement with the perpendicularfaces of the teeth 40 to prevent casual movement of the indicatingdevice, but the end of the spring 49 also prevents outward movement ofthe plun er 45 beyond a predetermined point as wel as maintains theplunger in ali nment.

rom the foregoing it will be very evident that when the lock is openedand the two halves of the container or housing are separated, thesprings 49 will return all of the indlcating devices to the positionshown in Fig. 2, since when the cover is opened the rack 40 is removed,from engagement with the plunger 45 of the indicating device. Referencewill now be had-to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 wherein a modified form of theinvention is shown, and said modification embodies substantially all thefeatures illustrated in the previous figures. This modification,however, is a dual register and is adapted to register the resultsscored in golf, baseball or other similar games. Herein the legend meansis shown to correspond with the baseball nomenclature, to show itsadaptability to baseball as well as golf.

In this modification. there is provided a pair of cover plates 120, eachhaving a peripheral flange 121. Upon one edge of the peripheral flangeis provided the integral hinge means 123 and upon the opposite side ofthe plate the peripheral flange is provided with a latch portion 125,herein shown in the form of a spring formation. Each of the plates isrovided with a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending slots 135,and slidably supported in each slot is an indicating device 136 havingthe usual plunger 145 and having the usual spring 149 associatedtherewith, which spring is suitably secured to the plunger or theindicating device and to the plate 120 by means of the struck portion150 adjacent the hinge 123. The details of said construction "aresubstantially similar to and may be identical with that disclosed indetail in Fig. 4, although the same may be modified within the scope ofthe invention.

Associated with each of the hinge portions of the two oppositelypositioned cover plates 120 is a back plate which back plate serves tocooperate with both cover plates, and said back plate is hereinindicated by the numeral 140 and is provided with a plurality ofstaggered ledges which extend transversely of the longitudinal slots 135and substantially across said plate, thereby form? ing a rack upon eachside of the plate, with which are associated the indicating devices 136.As shown clearly in Fig. 7 the cover plate 120 is hingedly supported atone end to one end of the back plate 140 and the op- "posite end of saidcover plate is yieldingly secured to said back plate by having the latchportion 125 enga e the hinge upon the opposite end of the ack late andthus yieldingly secure the front p ate to the back plate in closedposition.

The operation of the several indicating devices and their return totheir original positions, is substantiallythe same as that hereinbeforedescribd, and need not be repeated here. It is to be noted that twoopponent scores may be registered simultaneously on the modificationillustrated in Figs 5 to 7 inclusive and after the game or contest iscompleted the two cover plates 120 may be disengaged from the hingemeans 123 and upon opening, permit the indicating devices 136 to bereturned by the springs 149, whereupon the counter is ready forsubsequent use after the cover plates have been returned to their closedposition.

While the invention has been described in great detail in the aforesaidspecifications, the same are 'to be considered illustrative rather thanrestrictive in character and while the preferred form of the inventionhas been described other modifications of the invention embodying thegeneric and specific features thereof will doubtless suggest themselvesto those skilled in the art to which this invention applies, but thesemodifications are all considered to be within the broad purview of thisinvention as outlined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a counter, the combination of a slid ably supported indicator, aplunger slidably supported by said indicator, a rack, means yieldinglyforcing said plunger into engagement with said rack to permit forciblemove ment of said indicator upon said rack in one direction and preventthe return thereof in the opposite direction, and means limiting thesliding movement of said plunger.

2. A counter including two hinged parts, and an indicator slidablsupported upon one part and engaging the other part and cooperatingtherewith.

3. A counter including a pair of plates, an intermediate rack platehingedly secured to said plates to form a hinged construction, anindicator on each of said pair of plates cooperating with the rackplate, and yielding means for maintaining the indicators in position onthe rack plate and prevent return movement thereof but permittingforcible progressive movement.

4. In a counter, a pair of plates hinged to opposite ends of anintermediate plate, said intermediate plate having a rack bar on eachface for cooperation with the scoring means on the corresponding plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

LEONARD C. ELDRIDGE.

